My Genealogy Hound

W. L. Lancaster, postmaster and merchant, at Wynne, owes his nativity to Giles County, Tenn., where his birth occurred August 15, 1844, the eldest in a family of eleven children born to the union of Elisha and Malinda (Kerr) Lancaster, natives also of Tennessee. The grandparents on both sides were early pioneers of Maury County, Tenn., coming from Virginia at a very early date. Elisha died in 1880, and his wife many years previous to that W. L. Lancaster was early taught the duties of farm life, and attended the common schools of that section until about sixteen years of age, when, at the breaking out of the late war, he flung aside the implements of peace and took up the weapons of warfare. He enlisted in the Confederate army, Company F, Forty-eighth Tennessee Infantry, and participated in the battles of Richmond, Perryville, Chickamauga, and was captured June 4, 1863, at Kenesaw Mountain, being retained from that time until the close of the war. After being released he returned home and was for two years engaged in buying cattle. In 1869 he came to Arkansas, settled in St. Francis County, where he purchased a farm and followed agricultural pursuits until 1873, but was also for some time engaged in mercantile pursuits in Forrest City, and was jailor of that county. He then came to Wynne and opened a general store, there being at that time but two other stores in the place. He purchased a lot, erected a store building, and had a good business which was rapidly increasing, until September, 1887, when half the town, including his store, was destroyed by fire. In less than two weeks he was again in business, selling from a tent, but in a few months moved into a store. September 1, 1889, he was appointed postmaster at Wynne. He was married in 1874 to Miss Fannie Speer, a native of Tennessee, and the fruits of this union have been two children: Dot and Normer. In 1883 Mrs. Lancaster was called to her final home. She was a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church. Mr. Lancaster is a member of the Masonic fraternity, the Knights of Honor, and is also a Knight of Labor.